Age Of Reason

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my instructors, I entirely abandoned the study of letters and resolved no longer to seek any other science than the knowledge of myself, or of the great book of the world”(16). The knowledge of oneself, and of his so-called “book of the world,” can be obtained solely through a process of reason. He argues that it is reason alone “which constitutes us men, and distinguishes us from the brutes”(13). Therefore, according to him, the human being is an elite animal, distinguished by his (or her) ability of rational thought. It is this nature as a rational animal that puts humans in their supreme position amongst all life. Descartes maintains further that reason “is to be found complete in each individual”(13), and is “by nature equal in all men”(13). Each man has equal opportunity for reasoning and being fully “human” as the next; but the way in which he conducts his thoughts and where he fixes his attention determines the uniqueness of his mind (13). Descartes claims that fixing ...

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experiences that bring insight, a more desirable quality. According to René Descartes, this insight is the key to fostering internally the ability to clearly “discriminate the right path in life and proceed in it with confidence”(17), quite possibly the only worthy lifelong pursuit.
Another greatly influential philosopher of the , John Locke, shares many of René Descartes’ views, particularly with respect to the nature of humans as rational animals. Locke, in his essay “Of Civil Government,” describes his perception of human nature, with significant emphasis how this nature affects the formulation and execution of civil communities. A recurring theme is the importance of reason in man’s ...

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